1. Chapter 11 The Age of Imperialism

3. Section 3 Europeans Claim Muslim Land
Europeans Grab Territory
Russia and the Crimean War
Access to sea trade routes focuses attention on Ottoman lands
Crimean War is an example of geopolitics
RUS attacks Ottomans in 1853 to gain warm-water port & access to Mediterranean Sea
Brit & FR join in to stop RUS expansion
RUS loses, but Ottomans are shown to be weak; still lose land b/c of rebellions
By 1914 Ottoman Empire declined to 1/3 of its greatest size
Egypt Initiates Reforms
Military and Economic Reforms
Muhammad Ali breaks away from Ottoman control and rules Egypt
Begins series of reforms in military and economy
modernizes to keep out Euro control
Shifts Egypt agriculture from food crops to cash crops (similar to Euro colonial policies)
Geopolitics: taking land for its strategic location or products

4. Persia Pressured to Change
The Suez Canal
Egypt builds Suez Canal
Modernization creates huge debt
Brits take over financial control of canal, occupy Egypt in 1882
Persia Pressured to Change
The exploitation of Persia
Rus wants access to Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean
Brit wants Persian oil and Afghanistan
Persia gives in to Western businesses
Battle over Tobacco
Persian ruler agrees to allow Brit to export tobacco
Persians boycott tobacco, leads to riots
1907, Rus and Brit seize and divide Persia between them as spheres of influence
Exploit: to take advantage of

5. Group Work Critical Thinking Questions In groups of 4, work together to answer the following questions:
What part did internal corruption play in the decline of Ottoman power?
Why did the discovery of oil in Persia increase the value of Ottoman territory?
In what way were the RUS, BR, and FR motivations in the Crimean War similar?
How was Muhammad Ali’s promotion of cotton production similar to Euro imperialists’ actions in AFR?
Why was the completion of the Suez Canal cause for international celebration?
What advantages did granting business concessions to Western countries offer Persia?
How did Persia’s granting of concessions eventually lead to its takeover by BR & RUS?

6. Critical Thinking Answers
It led to a weakened economy and technological stagnation.
The oil had to pass through Ottoman land to Europe.
They all wanted to control Ottoman territory
Both substituted production of cash crops for food crops
It greatly decreased the time needed to travel from Euro to East AFR and Asia
Income, development of their resources, and participation in world events
Concessions allowed Western countries to establish an economic foothold in Persia, which they exploited when the Persian gov’t lost control of the country.